About Us

Almost a century ago, Lakshmi, a widow, was traveling by train to an Ashram to seek refuge, as her promised husband had died and so had her father. She became ill and was taken to a Christian hospital in Rajahmundry where she was nursed and witnessed to by Betty Nilsson, a Missionary from Zion Lutheran Church in Rockford, IL. She was converted to Christianity, married the Pastor of the hospital and they had one daughter, Hope Sylvia Charles. It was instilled in Sylvia the dream of one day building a hospital for the poor. Sylvia married Palaparthi Charles, they had five children and the dream began—–

The dream came to realization through none other than her son-in-law Dr. Eda William Prasad M.S., husband of Rhoda a surgeon and associate professor at Rangaraya Medical College, Kakinada. He has seen many patients that are struck with cancer at the local Government Hospital and felt helpless because surgery alone can not help patients who require radiation and chemotherapy treatments. Unfortunately, these modalities were not available at Kakinada.

So in 1987, under his direction as the founder along with the efforts of this great Indian family which include Mary and Alfred Sagar, Sapna, Veeresh, Joshua and Emily Michael; John, Verna, Charles, Karen, Natalie, Oliver & Richard Dhyanchand; Emily, Issac, Evy, Margo, Rhoda, Prasad, John, Mercy, Amos & Jacobed Eda; Jessica, Gabriel, & John Finney Chinnam; Sarah, Pam & Tina, Rajasekhar; Silas, Vasantha and Sylvie Charles, along with members of St. Timothy Lutheran Church, headed by Pastors Vige and Johnson in Melbourne, Florida; Our Savior Lutheran Church in Rockford, Illinois, Peace Lutheran Church in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Dr. Wally and Louise Sorensen, Marta and Juan Fiol, and many partners throughout the US and India, the Christian Cancer Center in Kakinada, India, a city on the Bay of Bengal, opened its doors to the less fortunate. The hospital is now self supporting and giving hope to countless cancer patients.

In 1995 as one of the lady patients laid at her deathbed, she asked Dr. Rhoda Eda, who is part of this great family and an OB-GYN physician at CCC, “Who will take care of my Samuel? When I am gone, he will have no one” – Dr. Rhoda said she would. Samuel was 9 years old.

The Dream Continues under “Charity, Love and Service Trust”

This is how Hope Village began. Hope Sylvia Charles, Dr. Rhoda’s mother donated 20 acres of land in a town called Peddapuram, approximately 30 minutes drive from the Cancer Center. Today, 30 young boys are being nurtured with Bible principles. They are taught both basic and technical subjects as well as English, Hindi and their dialect, Telugu. From the first batches of children, many have been working in varied vocations as well as being educated in Engineering, Medical, and Computer Sciences.